2:177 True piety does not consist in turning your faces towards the east or the west143 - but truly pious
is he who believes in God, and the Last Day; and the angels, and revelation,144 and the prophets;
and spends his substance - however much he himself may cherish it - upon his near of kin, and
the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer,145 and the beggars, and for the freeing of human
beings from bondage;146 and is constant in prayer, and renders the purifying dues; and [truly
pious are] they who keep their promises whenever they promise, and are patient in misfortune
and hardship and in time of peril: it is they that have proved themselves true, and it is they, they
who are conscious of God.
146 Ar-raqabah (of which ar-riqab is the plural) denotes, literally, "the neck", and signifies
also the whole of a human person. Metonymically, the expression fi'r-riqab denotes "in
the cause of freeing human beings from bondage", and applies to both the ransoming of
captives and the freeing of slaves. By including this kind of expenditure within the
essential acts of piety, the Qur'an implies that the freeing of people from bondage - and,
thus, the abolition of slavery - is one of the social objectives of Islam. At the time of
the revelation of the Qur'an, slavery was an established institution throughout the world,
and its sudden abolition would have been economically impossible. In order to obviate this
difficulty, and at the same time to bring about an eventual abolition of all slavery, the
Qur'an ordains in 8:67 that henceforth only captives taken in a just war (jihad) may be
kept as slaves. But even with regard to persons enslaved in this or - before the revelation
of 8:67 - in any other way, the Qur'an stresses the great merit inherent in the freeing of
slaves, and stipulates it as a means of atonement for various transgressions (see, e.g.,
4:92, 5:89, 58:3). In addition, the Prophet emphatically stated on many occasions that,
in the sight of God, the unconditional freeing of a human being from bondage is among the
most praiseworthy acts which a Muslim could perform. (For a critical discussion and analysis
of all the authentic Traditions bearing on this problem, see Nayl al-Awtar VI, 199 ff
8:67
IT DOES NOT behove a prophet to keep captives unless he has battled strenuously on earth.72
You may desire the fleeting gains of this world - but God desires [for you the good of] the life to
come: and God is almighty, wise. (8:68) Had it not been for a decree from God that had already
gone forth, there would indeed have befallen you a tremendous chastisement on account of all
[the captives] that you took.73
72 I.e., as an aftermath of a war in a just cause. As almost always in the Qur'an, an injunction
addressed to the Prophet is, by implication, binding on his followers as well. Consequently, the
above verse lays down that no person may be taken, or for any time retained, in captivity unless
he was taken prisoner in a jihad - that is, a holy war in defence of the Faith or of freedom
(regarding which see surah 2, note 167) - and that, therefore, the acquisition of a slave by
"peaceful" means, and the keeping of a slave thus acquired, is entirely prohibited: which, to
all practical purposes, amounts to a prohitition of slavery as a "social institution". But even
with regard to captives taken in war, the Qur'an ordains (in 47:4) that they should be freed
after the war is over.
73 This is apparently a reference to the captives taken by the Muslims at Badr, and the discussions
among the Prophet's followers as to what should be done with them. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab was of
the opinion that they should be killed in revenge for their past misdeeds, and in particular for
their persecution of the Muslims before the latters' exodus to Medina; Abu Bakr, on the other
hand, pleaded for forgiveness and a release of the prisoners against ransom, supporting his plea
with the argument that such an act of mercy might induce some of them to realize the truth of
Islam. The Prophet adopted the course of action advocated by Abu Bakr, and released the captives
(The relevant Traditions are quoted by most of the commentators, and especially - with full
indication of the sources - by Tabari and Ibn Kathir.) The reference in the above verse to the
"tremendous chastisement" that might have befallen the Muslims "but for a decree (kitab) from
God that had already gone forth" - i.e., a course of action fore-ordained in God's knowledge
makes it clear that the killing of the captives would have been an awesome sin.by muhammad assad
: Some think that when Muslims conquered territory, slaves were often taken or that slavery is allowed in Islam.
When
the Quran was revealed, slavery was in wide practice throughout the
Arab World, thus, it would have been impractical and detrimental to
place an immediate ban on the slave trade, forcing all slaves into
unemployment/poverty. The Quran uses a better psychological approach to
win people’s hearts in the struggle against slavery and all forms of
discrimination by placing a strong emphasis on human dignity
and equality and encouraging the freeing of slaves:
Did
we not show him the two paths? He should choose the difficult path.
Which one is the difficult path? The freeing of slaves. Feeding, during
the time of hardship... [90:10-14]
Righteousness
is not turning your faces towards the east or the west. Righteous are
those who believe in God, the Last Day, the angels, the scripture, and
the prophets; and they give the money, cheerfully, to the relatives, the
orphans, the needy, the traveller, the beggars, and to free the
slaves... [2:177]
The
Quran lists the penalty for various misdemeanours as freeing of slaves,
see 4:92, 5:89, 58:3. It also implies distribution of
community/collective charities would contribute towards freeing of
slaves:
The
charities are to go to the poor, and the needy, and those who work to
collect them, and those whose hearts have been united, and to free the
slaves, and those in debt, and in the cause of God, and the traveller. A
duty from God, and God is Knowledgeable, Wise. [9:60]
The
only method mentioned in The Quran for gaining captives (more correctly
termed 'prisoners of war', not slaves) is during warfare, after which
they must be released or ransomed. Keeping them is not an option:
Therefore, if you encounter those who deny the truth (in warfare), then bring about the captives until
when you have subdued/overcome them, then strengthen the bind. Then
after either grace/favour or ransom, until the war lays down its
burdens. That, and had God willed, surely He would have gained victory
Himself from them, but He tests some of you with others. And those who
get killed in the cause of God, He will never let their deeds be put to
waste. [47:4]
Interestingly, in the above verse, it implies a preference for taking captives rather than killing the enemy in warfare.
As can clearly be seen, taking all of the above verses of The Quran into account, it would lead to a gradual reduction in slave numbers and eventually abolish slavery.( via misconeptions about islam .com )
In the Qur’an, when we examine the verses related to slavery or people in this situation one by one, we see clearly that Allah has never shown slavery legitimate through the Quran channel. This is much clearer when we list and explain the relevant verses in the following section. It is necessary to emphasize the reasons for this resident perception. Because how is this inhumane application which is inexcusable in Qur’an and took place many civilized (!) countries until recently found its way into the Islam practice?
Slavery is a concept that existed since pre-recorded history. However the way it was practiced in the Islamic world differs greatly than how it was practiced in the rest of the world. Even in the more recent times, centuries after the introduction of Islam, the non-Muslims have practiced slavery in the most barbaric manner. The whole Trans-Atlantic nonsense that was practiced by the Americans is one of the worst forms of slavery man has witnessed. The slaves were not treated as humans and did not have any rights. This way was much similar to the form practiced before the advent of Islam in the Times of Ignorance (Ja’hilah). Islam indeed came as a blessing to all Mankind and it was seen that slaves were given rights, something which the rest of the world never gave them.
Leviticus
25:44-46 (one of the books of present day Torah, the Jewish scripture)
is a key text used for the biblical justification of slavery. It says
that God told Jews, ‘you may also buy male and female slaves from among
the nations…you may bequeath them to your sons after you, to inherit as a
possession for ever.’
Abraham,
‘the one whom God chose for His love,’ and ‘the father of the
faithful,’ bought slaves from Haran (Gen 12:50), armed 318 slaves born
in his own house (Gen 14:14), included them in his property list (Gen
12:16, 24:35-36), and willed them to his son Issac (Gen 26:13-14). The
Bible says that God blessed Abraham by multiplying his slaves (Gen
24:35). In Abraham’s household, angels tell Hagar, his slave, to return
to Sarah. The angel tells her, ‘return to your mistress and submit to
her’ (Gen 16:9).
At God’s command, Joshua took slaves (Josh 9:23), as did David (1 Kings 8:2,6) and Solomon (1 Kings 9:20-21).
Job
whom the Bible calls ‘blameless and upright’, was ‘a great
slaveholder.’ See Job 1:15-17, 3:19, 7:2, 31:13, 42:8 where Job speaks
of his slaves.[8]
Jesus
accepted slavery. The present day Gospels do not have a single word
attributed to Jesus as saying anything about slavery. Jesus met slaves
(Luke 7:2-10, 22:50, etc) and gave parables of slaves (Matthew 13:24-30,
18:23-35, 22:1-14, Luke 12:25-40, 14:15-24, etc), but he never spoke
against slavery. Compare it to what the Arabian Prophet of Islam said
about slaves in the next article.
However,
the tendency to evade reality and live in a world of make-believe has
been a special heritage of India. The reality is that the evil of
slavery, in one shape or the other, has always cast its evil shadows on
the Indian society. Even in the days of its utmost glory, when the Vedas
and Upanishads were being composed, the curse of slavery polluted the
atmosphere.
The
Rigveda reveals that the Aryans invaded India and defeated the original
inhabitants and made them slaves. They bore the condemned label of Daas (feminine Daasi), Dasyu and Shudras. And these slaves were considered as objects to be given away as gifts and placed in the category of animals.
In one of the Valakhilya hymns of the Rigveda the following is mentioned
“You gave me 100 donkeys, 100 sheep that render wool, and 100 slaves” [Rigveda 8/56/3]
An acknowledgement thus made in a disinterested, casual tone reveals that such bargains were common in those days. Aitareya Brahman (Kaand
8, Chapter 4) disclosed that a king donated 10,000 slave girls and
10,000 elephants to the priest who presided over his coronation.
With this ceremony Udamaya, the son of Atri, inaugurated Anga. Thence Anga went conquering everywhere over the whole earth up to its ends, and sacrificed the sacrificial horse. This Anga, who was not defective in any respect had once said, “I give you O Brahman, 10,000 elephants and 10,000 slave girls, if you call me to this sacrifice.”
In
the Rigveda, there are numerous places where gifts of beautiful girls
as salves are made to saintly persons. For example, Rigveda 6/27/8
mentions Abhyavarti, son of Chayaman, presenting a gift of slave girls stuffed in two big wagons to Rishi Bhardavaj.
Two wagon-teams, with damsels, twenty oxen, O Agni, Abhydvarti Chayamana, the liberal Sovran, gives me. This guerdon of Prthu’s seed is hard to win from others.
Another instance of gifting slave girls is mentioned in Rigveda 1/126/3
Ten chariots drawn by bay steeds, carrying damsels, stood near me, given to me by Swanaya; and a thousand and sixty cows followed: these, after a short interval of time did Kashivan deliver.
Another
episode in Aitareya Brahman highlights the cold-bloodedness of such
bargainers. It is mentioned in Aitareya Brahman Kaand 7, Chapter 3.The
Mahabharata, the great Hindu epic, gives details of the system of
slavery. Yudhistira, in Sabhaparva (52/45), Vanaparva (233/43) and
Viratparva (18/21) bestowed a massive number of 26,40,000 slaves on
88,000 graduates (at the rate of 30 slaves per graduate)
Manu Smriti (Chapter 8, verse 415) classifies them into seven categories:
- war captive,
- a self-volunteered slave,
- born of a female slave,
- a slave purchased,
- slave given by parents,
- inherited through will and
- penalised by the king ( by Ibn Muhammad)
Islam came to abolish slavery. And the Qur'aan actually gave the perfect system to abolish it. Many systems before tried to end slavery but the way Islam came to do it was totally different and effective. The Qur'aan used the gradual system of abolishing slavery. It represented the way of "freeing" slaves in every act of paying back for your mistakes. It also talked greatly about the goodness of freeing slaves. The prophet showed by example how freeing prisoners of war in exchange for education can be a good example. Islam also presented how to treat a slave, and what are their rights. For example a pregnant slave will earn her freedom and she will be married. With time, slavery in the Muslim world vanished, due to the encouragement of the Qur'aan to keep freeing slaves. Slavery in other places in the world was still going on, because every attempt to bring it down was a violent one (slave owners wouldn't just let go of slaves without a fight, and slaves had no chance to earn their freedoms so they had to fight for it) so it might not worked or took a lot of time.
The Liberation of Slaves in Islam:
The
reason why Muslims had slaves is because when Islam was still weak and
growing, the Arab Pagans' tribes used to launch continuous attacks on
the Muslims to destroy Islam once and for all. Muslims had entered many
bloody and vicious battles against the non believers which had cost
both sides many lives from the men. When the Muslims used to enter a
city after defeating its army, they would face a new dilemma. They
often meet hundreds of non believing women and young children and
elderly left without any support because their men had died in the
battle field.
For
this reason, Allah Almighty allowed for the Muslims to take those
people as slaves to help them survive. Keep in mind that during that
time, the Muslims didn't have an Islamic government and welfare system
to take care of the orphans and widows from the non believers. The
Muslims had to take care of them from their own means.
Prophet
Muhammad peace be upon him ordered the Muslims to be very sensitive to
their slaves. He ordered the Muslims to buy the slave young boys and
girls the same quality of clothes and gifts that they would buy for
their children. He also ordered Muslims not to hit or be violent to
adult slaves. He ordered Muslims to be loving and caring for them.
Prophet
Muhammad also urged wealthy Muslims to buy slaves from the Pagan Arabs
and to let them free after that. One of Prophet Muhammad's best friends
was a slave from Africa called Bilal Al-Habashi. Bilal was bought from
his Pagan master by Abu Baker Al-Siddeek, one of Muhammad's best
friends. After Abu Baker bought Bilal, he set him free.
Islam
as I mentioned in the introduction came to fight slavery. Allah
Almighty ordered the Muslims to gradually liberate slaves and to give
them their freedom in many cases.
Let us look at Noble Verse 4:92 "Never should a believer kill a believer; but (If it so happens) by mistake, (Compensation is due): If one (so) kills a believer, it is ordained that he should free a believing slave,
and pay compensation to the deceased's family, unless they remit it
freely. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you, and he was
a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (Is enough). If he
belonged to a people with whom ye have treaty of Mutual alliance,
compensation should be paid to his family, and a believing slave be
freed. For those who find this beyond their means, (is prescribed) a
fast for two months running: by way of repentance to God: for God hath
all knowledge and all wisdom." In this Noble Verse, we see that
Allah Almighty ordered to free a believing slave if a Muslim
accidentally kills another Muslim. This Noble Verse came to encourage
Muslims to liberate slaves.
Let us look at Noble Verse 5:89 "God
will not call you to account for what is futile in your oaths, but He
will call you to account for your deliberate oaths: for expiation, feed
ten indigent persons, on a scale of the average for the food of your
families; or clothe them; or give a slave his freedom. If that is
beyond your means, fast for three days. That is the expiation for the
oaths ye have sworn. But keep to your oaths. Thus doth God make clear to
you His signs, that ye may be grateful." This Noble Verse is also another proof that Allah Almighty did encourage Muslims to liberate slaves.
Let us look at Noble Verse 58:3 "But those who divorce their wives by Zihar, then wish to go back on the words they uttered, (It is ordained that such a one) should free a slave before they touch each other: Thus are ye admonished to perform: and God is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do." This Noble Verse is another proof that Allah Almighty did encourage Muslims to liberate slaves.
Islam commands the Muslims to love and respect slaves and to treat them with kindness.
Let us look at Noble Verse 2:177 "It
is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but
it is righteousness to believe in God and the Last Day, and the Angels,
and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of
love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the
wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be
steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the
contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or
suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are
the people of truth, the God-fearing." In
this Noble Verse, we see that Allah Almighty orders Muslims to spend
from their money and wealth and to give with love and respect the kin,
orphans, the needy, the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for slaves.
Muslims have to help those who need it in their community.
Let us look at Noble Verse 2:221 "Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they believe: A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though she allures you. Nor marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe: A man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever,
even though he allures you. Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the
Fire. But God beckons by His Grace to the Garden (of bliss) and
forgiveness, and makes His Signs clear to mankind: That they may
celebrate His praise."
In this Noble Verse, we see that Allah Almighty in some cases considers
a slave to be better than a free human being. Allah Almighty orders
Muslims not to marry from the Pagans, and He tells us that a slave
Muslim (who is owned by a non Muslim) is better than a non believer,
even if that non believer was beautiful.Let us look at Noble Verse 24:31 "And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty;
that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what
(must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over
their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands,
their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands'
sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or
their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male
servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of
the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order
to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye
all together towards God, that ye may attain Bliss."
In this Noble Verse, we see that Allah Almighty orders the Muslim women
to guard their modesty and not to display their beauty to strangers.
However, the Muslim women are allowed to display their beauty to their
husbands, relatives, other women, and their slaves. This Noble Verse
clearly shows a full respect to the slaves by allowing the Muslim women
to display their beauty to them. .
Let us look at Noble Verse 24:33 "Let those who find not the wherewithal for marriage keep themselves chaste, until God gives them means out of His grace. And if any of your slaves ask for a deed in writing (to enable them to earn their freedom for a certain sum), give them such a deed if ye know any good in them: yea, give them something yourselves out of the means which God has given to you. But force not your maids to prostitution when they desire chastity, in order that ye may make a gain in the goods of this life. But if anyone compels them, yet, after such compulsion, is God, Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (to them)," In this Noble Verse, we see that if a slave requests his freedom from his Muslim master, then his master not only must help him earn his freedom if there is good in the Slave, but also pay him money so the slave can have a good start in his free life.
"The law of slavery in the legal sense of the term is now obsolete. While it had any meaning, Islam made the slave's lot as easy as possible. A slave, male or female, could ask for conditional manumission by a written deed fixing the amount required for manumission and allowing the slave meanwhile to earn money by lawful means and perhaps marry and bring up a family. Such a deed was not to be refused if the request was genuine and the slave had character. Not only that, but the master is directed to help with money out of his own resources in order to enable the slave to earn his or her own liberty." by Osama Abdallah
>>>
Unfortunately, "captivity", which decreased with the period of our prophet, was revealed again in the period of the Umayyads-Abbasids. And especially, they presented the decisions they took as if they were commanded by Islam. The ulama of that period who made ijtihad were also forced to make such decisions as a result of the pressure they experienced by mervece***
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